


opening up

by yourbumblebee



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, short one-shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23150044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourbumblebee/pseuds/yourbumblebee
Summary: Rapunzel's finally ready to open up to Eugene about Cassandra's betrayal. Aka, the full conversation at the end of Rapunzel's Return.
Relationships: Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	opening up

“At first, I felt so betrayed. After all, Cass is my best friend and I still love her.” Rapunzel admitted, fidgeting with her fingers as she finally let all the feelings she’d been hiding since returning from the Dark Kingdom rose to the surface.

Rapunzel was never one to dig a hole inside her heart and hide her feelings there. She’d always felt like she was good with expressing her emotions, both good and bad. But Cassandra’s betrayal was, for the first time since leaving the tower for the last time, one of the times when reflecting on how hurt she was by the chain of events was harder than putting on a happy facade and pretending everything was okay.

Cass was her best friend. Is still her best friend, even after everything. And Rapunzel had a feeling that no matter what Cass did, no matter what she would do from here now that she had the moonstone, she would still consider Cassandra her best friend.

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t hurt by the fact that her best friend took her destiny from her and then blamed her for her mother abandoning her.

“I get it. I really do. I spent the first 18 years of my life with Gothel. I was raised by her, and was hurt by her just like Cassandra was.” Rapunzel tucked a stray strand of golden hair behind her ear, flinching at it with memories of Gothel flooding her mind.

She had been getting better at controlling the trauma that her kidnapper-mother had caused her, but now it seemed like finding out she was Cassandra’s mom was causing her to take steps backwards.

Steps back towards being the naïve, insecure girl who left the tower the day after her 18th birthday.

“That doesn’t excuse what she did, Sunshine.” Eugene chimes in from the seat by her window, his eyes narrowing. Rapunzel was well aware of the fact that Eugene had very different feelings about Cass’s betrayal than she did, but her relationship with Cass was also very different from Eugene’s.

“She had absolutely no right to blame you for being kidnapped as a baby by that old hag. Unfortunate circumstance led said old hag to being Cassandra’s mother. That ironically tragic part is not her fault, granted, but it’s not yours either.”

“I know, I know.” The princess assured him, sighing as she rubbed her eyes. She hadn’t gotten a lick of sleep since coming back from the Dark Kingdom. It was unhealthy, she knew, but anytime she closed her eyes, the looming image of Cassandra with the Shadowblade tormented her mind.

“I just wish she had told me what she saw in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow right after we left. We could’ve figured things out! We could’ve talked it out and bonded over the fact that we were both hurt by the same woman. That could’ve brought us closer together. Instead, it drew us apart.”

“Have you ever considered the absurdity of what she saw, Blondie?” Eugene spoke up again, crossing his arms over his chest. Even after everything with Demanitus, Eugene still held onto a bit of his cynical tendencies and suspicions of most things magical. “Some weird ghost child knew her name and took her to a house and for whatever reason decided to show her what she did? Besides, wasn’t that witch ancient by the time you were born? How could she possibly have had a 4 year old daughter?”

Rapunzel chewed on her lip. She’d spent the little free time she’d had since coming back home deliberating the same questions Eugene asked. Should anything in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow really be seen as real?

After all, that was the house that gave Rapunzel her fantasy world and snatched it away from her just as quickly. Was what Cassandra saw maybe some cruel vision meant to manipulate her into taking the moonstone?

“I don’t know, Eugene.” She sighed in defeat, sitting back down next to him. She felt his warm hand intertwine with hers, and a soft smile spread across her face. “There’s nothing we can do now. Cassandra saw that and, whether it’s real or not, believed it, and now she has the moonstone.”

Rapunzel had no idea where to go from here. Her best friend was the moonstone and had control over the black rocks, she was out there and she had no idea what she was planning to do next. The black rocks were still a threat, though they were growing slower than they did before. Her parents had amnesia, leaving her the temporary queen of Corona.

As if sensing her despair, Eugene enveloped her in a warm hug. Rapunzel sunk into it with a happy sigh, burying her face in his neck. She hasn’t realized how much she needed this. To be held and listened to and just to get everything she’d been feeling out.

“You’ll figure it out, Rapunzel.” The man wrapped around her assured her, softly pressing his lips to her temple. “You always do. I have faith in you and, as much as I really do not wanna say it right now, I have faith in Cassandra too. If anyone can get through to her and bring her out of the darkness, it’s you.”

“Thanks, Eugene. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Rapunzel gushes, finally letting herself relax in his arms. He pulled away from her slowly, his hand coming up to cradle her face. His thumb rubbed her cheek softly, his amber eyes full of love. “I’ll let you get some rest, you’ve had an exhausting day. I’ll have someone bring your dinner up to you.”

“Okay.” She nodded. She could feel the adrenaline she’d been running on all day slowly wearing off, and she finally began to realize just how tired she was. “Goodnight, Eugene.”

The man chuckled as she yawned tiredly, stepping back towards the door to her bedroom. “Goodnight, Rapunzel.” He said quietly, his lips quirked up into a soft smile he deserved only for her.

He shuffled out of the room and shut the door behind her. And as Rapunzel stared out at the beautiful sunset on the horizon, she couldn’t help but wonder where Cassandra was now, and what it was she was planning on doing with the moonstone.


End file.
